Chronic stress is a major cause of chronic illness, which in turn is a major driver of escalating health care costs in the US. Many Americans are living with moderate or high levels of stress. Since assessment of chronic stress depends almost exclusively on retrospective self-reporting, underreporting poses a serious impediment to clinical assessment, early intervention, and primary prevention. Among the many symptoms and pathological consequences of stress, nocturnal bruxism has drawn attention from many clinicians in related fields.
Bruxism is characterized by the grinding of the teeth and typically includes the clenching of the jaw. Bruxism normally occurs during sleep and can result in a variety of health issues. The etiology of bruxism is unclear and varied, but it has been known to manifest in tooth wear, signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD), headaches, toothache, mobile teeth, and various problems with dental restorations as well as with fixed and removable prostheses. Dentists have relied on polysomnography and various versions of electromyography (EMG) to ascertain, diagnose, approximate the extent of, and reduce nocturnal bruxism.